1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to string-based genetic algorithms and more specifically to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for selecting bits for genetic operations in a string-based genetic algorithm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Genetic algorithms are software tools that use techniques loosely based on Darwinian evolution to evolve solutions to design problems such as combinatorial optimization. They start with randomly generated and/or seeded populations of solutions (a primordial stock), and use the Darwinian principles of natural selection, sexual recombination, and mutation to create new, more fit solutions.
String-based genetic algorithms have been successfully deployed in many aspects of research and development, and have generated human-competitive solutions to a wide range of problems. Implemented properly, string-based genetic algorithms are very good for exploring large, complex design spaces where other methods, such as linear regressions, design of experiments (DoE), principle component analysis, and Taguchi central composite designs (Taguchi-CCD) fail. String-based genetic algorithms are very robust and resilient against local optima in the design space.